BEND, OR -- Supporters of Lisa Seals for Bend City Council have taken issue with one of her opponents' residency in the year prior to the election.  Seales says she's not the one behind the negative campaigning against Casey Roats. But, she admits she is not denouncing Charlie Ringo or Michael Funke for making claims that Roats violated residency requirements.  "I support them as concerned citizens. They needed to bring this issue of residency forward and that's totally within their rights to do so." She says, "As far as people thinking that I'm behind this - that's an unfair accusation."  Seales says she wanted to stay positive in the campaign but Ringo, who heads a Political Action Committee supporting her, wanted to go negative. 

She's now defending accusations from Roats, who claims Seales has her own residency issues to deal with.  Roats says she doesn't have an Oregon drivers license and just recently registered to vote in this state.  Seales admits she owns homes in Eugene and Florida, but says, "I live in Bend and I've had a lease in Bend for the last four years. I've been teaching at the college for the last two years. I did my disseratation remotely since I've moved here in 2010.  I did not graduate from the University of Floriday until May of this year, and just before I graduated, I registered to vote in Oregon."  Seales confirmed she was a student at the University of Florida and paid in-state tuition.